Catch for a packing case or the like



8 1970- I c. E. SWANSON 3,524 667 CATCH FOR PACKING CASE OR THE LIKE Original Filed Oct. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fl 6 2 3 Fl 24 FIG.3 4 22 v P) \x 30 g f? lt I v l 22 i (37 I I I a 'l 20 y M Z INVBNTOR GUNNAR E. SHANSON ATTORNEYS Aug. 18, 1970 s. E. SWANSON 3,524,667

CATCH FOR A PACKING CASE OR THE LIKE I Original Filed Oct. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W///Ai IE I HR INVBNTOR GUNNAR 2 SWANSON zw /dg ATTORNEYS 3,524,667 CATCH FOR A PACKING CASE OR THE LIKE Gunnar E. Swanson, Middletowu, Cnn., assignor to The Nielsen Hardware Corporation, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Original application Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,425, now Patent No. 3,428,348, dated Feb. 18, 1969. Divided and this application May 20, 1968, Ser. No. 730,378

Int. Cl. Fc 19/14 US. Cl. 292-113 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a division of pending application Ser. No. 501,425, filed Oct. 22, 1965, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,348 issued Feb. 18, 1969.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a catch for releasably securing together two separable parts such as the body and cover of a packing case or box. More particularly the invention deals with a catch having a drawbar engageable with an associated strike, a pivoting operating lever which overlies the drawbar in the closed condition of the catch, and a means for releasably locking the operating handle in the closed position.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a catch unit of relatively simple construction wherein the operating lever is releasably held in its closed position by an easily operated locking device which resists shock loads of the type commonly sustained by packing case catches generally.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a catch of the foregoing character which may be constructed so as to have a relatively low profile.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings forming a part hereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention resides in a packing case catch or the like having a base for attachment to a supporting part, a drawbar movable into and out of holding engagement with a strike on another part, a lever for operating the drawbar and which overlies the drawbar in the closed position of the catch, and a releasable locking means for holding the operating lever in its closed position so as to resist inadvertent or accidental opening of the catch. The locking means may be of such character as to provide a restraint between the operating lever and the base or between the operating lever and the drawbar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a catch embodying the present invention, the catch being shown in its closed condition.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the catch shown in FIG. 1 with portions of the catch being shown broken away to reveal the structure of other parts.

mted' States Patent Officfi 3,524,667 Patented Aug. 18, 1970 FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, the catch being shown in a partially open condition.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the FIG. I catch as seen with the operating lever moved to its fully open position.

FIG. 5 is a side view of another catch embodying the present invention, portions of the catch being shown broken away to reveal the structure of other parts.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the FIG. 5 catch as seen with the operating lever in its open position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings in greater details, and first more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 4 thereof, these figures show a catch, indicated generally at 24, embodying the invention and adapted to releasably secure to one another two separable panels 20 and 22. These panels 20 and 22 may comprise parts of the body and cover respectively of a packing case or the like, but it should be noted that the catch of this invention is equally well adapted to secure to one another panels and parts other than the body and cover portions of a packing case.

The catch 24 includes a base 26, suitably adapted for attachment to the panel 20, and an operating lever 28. It further includes a drawbar 32 which is pivotally connected to the lower end of the operating lever 28 by a transversely extending pin 34 and which cooperates with a strike 30 attached to the panel 22 above the base 26. The drawbar 32 is adjustable in length and is comprised basically of two parts. These two parts are a strike engagea'ble claw 37 and an inner part 36. The strike engageable claw 37 includes a wide upper portion 39, preferably made of sheet metal, and a threaded shank 38. The inner part 36 is preferably made from formed sheet metal, as shown, and in addition to defining a transversely extending opening for receiving the pivot pin 34 also defines a longitudinally extending centrally arranged opening into which the shank 38 of the claw 37 is threaded.

The base 26 of the catch 24 is adapted to rest flatly against the surface of the panel 20 and may be secured thereto in any convenient manner, as for example by screws or rivets or the like. Two transversely spaced flanges 26a and 26b extend forwardly from the portion of the base engaging the panel 20 and include aligned openings which receive a pair of pivot pieces or trunnions 44, 44. Each pivot piece or trunnion 44 is in turn fixedly attached to an associated flat link 46 which is welded to an associated one of two transversely spaced and longitudinally extending side flanges 28a and 28b on the operating lever 28. The lever 28 also has an inwardly turned transversely extending flange 55 at its free outer end.

As mentioned, the drawbar part 36 is pivotally connected to the inner end of the operating lever 28 by the transversely extending pivot pin 34 which is pivotally received in openings extending through the operating lever side flanges 28a and 28b and through two links 46, 46-. As so constructed and arranged, the catch unit 24 can be closed and opened by movement of the operating lever 28 relative to the base about the axis of the trunnions 44, 44. In the closed condition of the catch, the operating lever extends upwardly and overlies the drawbar 32 and strike 30. That is, the upper or free end of the operating lever faces in the direction away from the base 26 and toward the strike 30. In the open condition of the catch, the operating lever is displaced a substantial angular distance from the strike, as shown in FIG. 3. Also, the axis of the pivot pin 34 is so located that when the catch is closed, as in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is located further from the strike than the axis of the trunnions 44, 44 and is also located on the opposite side from the panel of the plane passing through the axis of the trunnions 44, 44 and the point of contact between the drawbar and the strike. The pivot pin 34 is thus moved between the panel 20 and the fixed pivot axis defined by the trunnions 44, 44 as the operating lever is moved between its opened and closed positions and an overcenter action is produced which tends to retain the operating lever in its closed position.

To provide a locking means for the operating lever 28, the lever 28 has a pair of transversely spaced elongated openings 58, 58 in its front surface in which a pair of fingers 60, 60 are received as best shown in FIG. 2. Preferably, and as shown in FIG. 3, the fingers 60, 60 define abutments 61, 61 adjacent their inner ends for a purpose to be described. The fingers 60, 60 are integrally formed in a locking member in the form of a channelshaped cover 62 which is slidably received on the lever 28, and which includes side flanges 64, 64 as well as tabs 66, 66 to retain it on the operating lever 28. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the tabs 66, 66 project inwardly toward one another and slidably engage the free edges of the side flanges of the lever 28. The outboard end portion of the cover 62 extends beyond the operating lever and is reversely bent upon itself to form a U-shaped cavity 68 for receiving a leaf spring 56. The spring 56 acts between the cover 62 and the outer end of the operating lever 28 to urge the former outwardly with respect to the latter.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the inner part 36 of the drawbar includes two side ears 70, 70 each of which has a tab 72 protruding laterally outwardly therefrom for engaging the abutment 61 of an associated one of the two fingers 60, 60. The cover 62 is urged by the spring 56 toward the latched position shown in solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 2 when the catch is closed and can be manuually shifted toward the unlatched position, shown in broken lines in FIG. 2, by pushing the cover member in the direction of the base to release the abutments 61, 61 from engagement with the tabs 72, 72. When in the latched position, the engagement of the abutments 61, 61 with the tabs 72, 72 prevents inadvertent release of the catch unit by retaining the operating lever 28 in a closed position adjacent the drawbar means.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a catch having a locking device of alternative construction. This catch is generally similar to that of FIGS. 1 to 4 except that a tab means is provided on the base portion of the catch rather than on the drawbar. The catch of FIGS. 5 and 6 has a base 26d which is generally similar to the base 26 of FIGS. 1 to 4, but for the addition of a tab means in the form of a pair of flanges 76, 76 at the upper end of the base which include downwardly protruding tabs or ledges 78, 78 for cooperation with the abutments 61, 61 of the fingers 60, 60. FIG. 5 shows the cover member 62 in its latched position to which it is urged by a spring working between it and the operating lever. The cover member can also be easily moved downwardly in FIG. 5 to an unlatched position in the same manner as set forth hereinabove with reference to the previous embodiment. Thus, the chances of inadvertent release of the catch unit due to shock loads or the like is greatly reduced as a result of the locking device of the present invention.

Although the drawings show preferred embodiments of the invention which have been described above, it will be understood that various changes may be made from the constructions disclosed, and that the drawings and description are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the following claims being relied upon for that purpose.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a catch for releasably securing one part to another part having a strike, the combination comprising a base adapted to be fixedly attached to said one part, a drawbar movable relative to said base between a closed position and an open position relative to said strike, an operating lever, means connecting said operating lever with said base and with said drawbar for moving said drawbar between said closed position and said open position in response to movement of said operating lever between a closed position and an open position respectively, said connecting means being so constructed and arranged that in its closed position said operating lever overlies said drawbar and has its free end facing in the direction away from said base and toward said strike, said connecting means being further so constructed and arranged that as said operating lever is moved from its open position to its closed position to bring said drawbar into closing engagement with said strike an overcenter action is produced which tends to retain said operating lever in its closed position, and a releasable locking means for releasably locking said operating lever in said closed position, said releasable locking means including a locking member supported by one of the group of parts consisting of said drawbar and said operating lever and slidable longitudinally thereof between first and second positions, a spring between said locking member and said one part for urging said locking member toward said first position, and means on said locking member providing an abutment surface, said abutment surface being engageable with said other part of said group when said drawbar is engaged with said strike, said operating lever is in its closed position, and said locking member is in its first position to positively restrain said operating lever against movement to its open position, said abutment surface being moved out of engagement with said drawbar to permit movement of said operating lever to its open position when said locking member is moved to said second position.

2. A catch as defined in claim 1 further characterized by said locking member being a cover slidably received on said operating lever, said drawbar having two laterally spaced tabs, and said cover including two fingers which project through associated openings in said operating lever, each of said fingers having an abutment surface such as aforesaid which is engageable with an as sociated one of said drawbar tabs to prevent movement References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,732,238 1/1956 Dornberg 2921l3 2,904,141 9/1959 Henrichs 287-18935 3,030,137 4/1962 Cheney 2921 13 3,259,411 7/1966 Grifliths 2921l3 FOREIGN PATENTS 722,536 12/1931 France.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner R. L. WOLFE, Assistant Examiner 

